YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. — After 28 years in law enforcement — 26 of them with the Yorktown Police Department — Detective Rich Finn said farewell on Friday, surrounded by loved ones, both family by blood and by work, during a “walk-out” ceremony marking his retirement.
A lifelong Yorktown resident, Finn began his career with the New York City Police Department in April 1997. He joined the Yorktown Police Department two years later, in April 1999. Finn served as a field training officer and operated a SMART trailer. In 2004, he was assigned to the juvenile bureau as a youth officer and property clerk.
Since 2004, Finn’s primary responsibility was teaching the D.A.R.E. curriculum in the Lakeland and Yorktown Central School Districts, as well as at St. Patrick’s Catholic School and Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School. He leaves a legacy in the community, Chief of Police Robert Noble said, having positively impacted the lives of many young people through his dedication to the program.
D.A.R.E. programming was moved to the town’s middle schools in 2017 to address what Noble called “more pressing young adult issues.”
“It was a big move and would not have happened without this man right here.”
Noble said that in 2015, Finn completed the Criminal Investigative Course and was promoted to the rank of detective. All his assignments, according to Noble, “were completed at a very high level.”
During his career, Finn received three Yorktown Excellent Police Duty Awards, as well as many letters of appreciation from the public and multiple commendations from supervisors. Noble added that Finn was a strong representative of the department in the community and had a sense of humor that many adored and will miss.
Finn was “one of the most resourceful members of our department,” Noble said, adding that there “wasn’t anything he didn’t do well.”
Throughout the morning, Noble, Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman and Assemblyman Matt Slater shared words of praise and presented Finn with proclamations. His family — including his wife, Bernadette, and three children, Richard, Jason and Kiera — looked on with deep pride.
Finn thanked his family for their unwavering support and nodded proudly toward the next chapter. His respect for his colleagues was clear in the way he spoke, the tone of his voice, and the cheers of supporters listening with admiration.
He told a story of a young Girl Scout he met on a recent tour of the department.
She asked Finn, “What’s the best part about working here? Is it driving fast? Is it getting free donuts? Is it getting chocolate milk?”
While those perks are “pretty cool,” he said, “the best thing is the people here.
“I’m not going to miss this job at all. The job is the job, and it’s going to go on. It’s the people that I’m going to miss working with every day.”
The reporter on this story can be reached at ferrante@halstonmedia.com.
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